Need for scrap metal means fewer runs for city trucks

Published: Tuesday, April 2, 2013 at 06:15 PM.

Burlington, however, takes the scrap and bulk metal it collects and sells it to CMC Recycling.

“That’s part of our revenue structure to offset our costs,” said Nolan Kirkman, Burlington’s public works director. “It’s a very small amount,” he said, but, “It all adds up at the end of the day.”

In the 2012-2013 fiscal year, it’s added up to about $1,904 in revenue for Burlington from 10.23 tons of metal goods the city has picked up and recycled this fiscal year.

Kathy Murray, Burlington’s sanitation administrative assistant, said most of that metal is set out on months when the city advertises free bulk pickup, and doesn’t charge for the second “bite” of the sanitation truck’s clamshell.

“We started it in February, but the weather was so bad. That’s why they extended it,” through April 26, said Murray.

Still, “We haven’t taken (any) white goods since July 2012,” she said, referring to washing machines and dryers. And Murray attributes that to metal scavengers.

“It’s been going on for some time now. You have scrap scavengers out there just picking up scrap metal and white goods,” she said. “The ones in Burlington more less know our route days.”

Both Graham and Burlington offer bulk waste pickup services to their residents, and have seen fewer washing machines and dryers left curbside. That’s either a direct result of people cashing in on their own appliances, or scavengers making treasure out of another man’s trash.

Terry Worth, Graham’s public works director, thinks it’s the former.

“It’s mainly more residents themselves,” he said. “They know they can get money for it so they take it to … metal companies, recycling steel companies.”

Local law enforcement and metal recycling companies aren’t seeing as much metal materials stolen for such purposes, ever since the state passed the Metal Theft Prevention Act of 2012.

“We pick it up on Mondays, and it’s on a call-in basis,” said Worth. “That’s anything (bulk), like appliances or furniture.” He said, “In the past year or two, we don’t have a lot of appliances.”

And when Graham did pick up such metals, the city didn’t recycle it, choosing to take it to the landfill instead.

Burlington, however, takes the scrap and bulk metal it collects and sells it to CMC Recycling.

“That’s part of our revenue structure to offset our costs,” said Nolan Kirkman, Burlington’s public works director. “It’s a very small amount,” he said, but, “It all adds up at the end of the day.”

In the 2012-2013 fiscal year, it’s added up to about $1,904 in revenue for Burlington from 10.23 tons of metal goods the city has picked up and recycled this fiscal year.

Kathy Murray, Burlington’s sanitation administrative assistant, said most of that metal is set out on months when the city advertises free bulk pickup, and doesn’t charge for the second “bite” of the sanitation truck’s clamshell.

“We started it in February, but the weather was so bad. That’s why they extended it,” through April 26, said Murray.

Still, “We haven’t taken (any) white goods since July 2012,” she said, referring to washing machines and dryers. And Murray attributes that to metal scavengers.

“It’s been going on for some time now. You have scrap scavengers out there just picking up scrap metal and white goods,” she said. “The ones in Burlington more less know our route days.”

Murray said Burlington only sends out the truck for metal pickup about once a week, and residents will often call the sanitation department, which will make note of where the metal goods are located.

We’ll go out to it, but it’s gone,” said Murray.

“Since the economy shot down … people are out there just doing everything they can to make some money,” she said.

And in 2012, particularly during the summer, that meant some individuals were stealing metal to sell to recycling companies.

Burlington Assistant Police Chief Chris Verdeck said while scavenging for the discarded metal isn’t illegal, some people were breaking into houses that were either empty or under construction to obtain the metals.

Doing so resulted in charges of breaking and entering, larceny, damage to real property, and obtain property by false pretense – since people were cashing in on metal that wasn’t theirs to sell.

“We had a lot of vacant houses where the copper piping was ripped out,” he said. “That’s the big item.”

“Copper is the biggest money-maker,” he said. Right now, a pound of “#1” or “clean” copper goes for $3.30.

“As of now, we haven’t really seen a spike in metal thefts,” said Verdeck. “Typically our thefts increase with the cost of scrap, which is currently down from the previous two years.”

A new state law is also probably discouraging thieves, said Wade.

Effective Oct. 1, 2012, a state statute referred to as the “Metal Theft Prevention Act of 2012,” makes it mandatory for businesses such as O.K. Recycling to pay individuals for their copper with a check, establishing a paper trail in case law enforcement finds the material to be stolen, said Wade.

He added the law also requires individuals to have a contractor’s license in order to receive money for recycled air conditioning units or their parts.

So now, Wade said O.K. Recycling has more contractors than individuals selling their metal scraps.